The morning sun, a rare visitor to my perpetually darkened windows, pried my eyes open. A heavy arm was draped across my waist, anchoring me to the mattress. Shinsou. He was a tangled mess of purple hair and calm serenity, even in sleep. It had been… a long time since I'd woken up like this. Genuinely at peace.
Years. Probably.
I traced the curve of his jaw, the soft stubble scratching against my fingertips. Usually, waking up was a race against the clock, a frantic scramble to shed the skin of the "Night Crow," the mafia boss, and slip into the tailored suit of Izuku Midoriya, the businessman. This morning, though, the city outside could wait.
A real smile, not the practiced, predatory kind I usually wore, tugged at my lips. I snuggled closer to Shinsou, burying my face in his hair. He stirred, a low groan rumbling in his chest, but didn't wake. We whiled away the morning in lazy contentment. We had breakfast that my maids prepared, blueberry pancakes and strong coffee, and for a few fleeting hours, I wasn't a criminal mastermind, nor was I someone that deals with villainous behaviour. I was just Izuku, a guy having breakfast with his… boyfriend? Partner? I wasn't sure what to call it but it felt good. Afterwards we spent the time watching movies, specifically romance, which Shinsou was into and I was definitely down to watch it.
The peace was fragile, I knew, like a glass sculpture in an earthquake. My happiness had a history of abrupt endings.
Shinsou left before my mother and Eri got back. I heard their laughter as they entered, the buoyant sounds a stark contrast to the hushed whispers and calculated silence I was used to. I helped the maids unload the shopping bags, each one filled with bright, cheerful things – clothes for Eri, ingredients for Mom's elaborate dinners, even a new super girl figurine. It was a domestic scene, a picture of normalcy ripped straight out of a life I could only dream of.
That evening, under the cloak of a starless night, the Night Crow re-emerged. The work never stopped. Tonight was about relocating some girls, victims of Overhaul's lackeys, to a safe house where they could be protected and rehabilitated, all thanks to the help of Kurogiri. These missions were always risky, but necessary.
It was nearly 4 AM when I wrapped up the last route. I touched my earpiece. "Jax, status report."
"All clear, Boss," Jax's voice crackled in my ear. "But proceed with caution. We've detected some unusual energy signatures in your sector." Jax was one of my tech guys, a kid barely out of high school but with a knack for hacking and an uncanny ability to sniff out trouble.
I led the convoy towards the safe house. The girls were huddled together, their eyes wide with fear and exhaustion. We were almost there when it happened. A villain, hulking and grotesque, lunged from the shadows, snatching one of the girls – a fragile child, barely eight years old.
Rage, cold and potent, ignited within me. I shoved the other girls behind me and faced the attacker. It was an easy fight. He was strong, but clumsy, relying on brute force instead of strategy. I danced around his attacks, delivering precise blows that left him gasping and bleeding.
But as he fell, dying, he reached out and grabbed my arm. A jolt of energy surged through me, unpleasant but seemingly harmless.
"You… you won't escape this…" he gurgled, before finally succumbing to his wounds.
I shrugged off the sensation and focused on the girl, comforting her as best as I could. I got her to the safe house, where my healers waited. Then, I went home.